Phoenixville Area High School dominated Ches-Mont League wrestling by winning five consecutive championships from 1976-80. The Phantoms and Spring-Ford Rams tied for the league title in 1980. Phoenixville was coached during those years by Lonny Moore.
That Spring-Ford team was coached by Bill Racich, currently the coach of the Ursinus College Bears. After retiring from coaching at Phoenixville, Moore served as an assistant to Racich at Ursinus.
Moore, who lived in Upper Providence Township during his teaching years with his wife, Joyce, and daughter, Mandee, later moved to Bethany Beach, Delaware, and is currently living in Gainesville, Florida. Mandee (Moore) O’Leary starred at Spring-Ford High School in field hockey, lacrose and basketball. She later became an All-American women’s lacrosse and field hockey coach at Division I Temple University in Philadelphia.O’Leary became a head women’s lacrosse coach at Yale University and has now joined the Florida Gators staff in Gainesville.
Lonny Moore also served for many years as chairman of the District 1 Steering Committee in wrestling before retiring last year. The Phantoms also captured the District 1 Southeastern Pennsylvania championship during the winter of 1982-83.
Among Lonny Moore’s standout wrestlers at Phoenixville were state champion Jeff Below, Steve McGovern, Mark Cagle, Kurt Anderson, current Great Valley High School field hockey/wrestling/girls lacrosse coach Joe Tornetta, current Phoenixville field hockey/wrestling/track coach John Tornetta, Joe’s younger brother; Joe Holland, Tom Bearden, Joe Parry, Steve Vodantis, Nick Vodantis, Dean Trevelino, Dave Trevelino, Dan Trevelino and John Giannopoulos.
Racich remains a health and physical education teacher at the Spring-Ford Area Middle School. Moore started his teaching and coaching career at Spring-Ford High School before switching to Phoenixville in the mid-1960s. He coached Phoenixville wrestling for 16 years and also acted as an assistant football coach and track and field coach with the Phantoms during his tenure with the Purple and White.
In football, Lonny Moore served as defensive coordinator and produced numerous outstanding linebackers, including former National Football League (NFL) professional players Neal Olkewicz and Rick Kraynak.
Olkewicz was a starting middle linebacker for the Washington Redskins, who won two Super Bowls in the 1980s under coach Joe Gibbs. The Redskins also appeared in a third Super Bowl during their reign. Olkewicz starred in college at the University of Maryland where he was a leading tackler. Olkewicz starred at Phoenixville under the late head coach, Paul Tomko, and enjoyed an 11-year career in the NFL. Olkewicz graduated from Phoenixville in 1975 and from Maryland in 1979.
Kraynak played the linebacker position for the Philadelphia Eagles under former coach Marion Campbell. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts. Kraynak starred at Phoenixville before graduating in 1979. He played fullback and was named a first-team All-State linebacker for head coach Marty Moore’s Phantoms, who finished undefeated while capturing the Ches-Mont League championship during the fall of 1978. Kraynak later played for head coach Jackie Sherrill and the Pitt Panthers and was a leading tackler for the Pitt team that was ranked No. 1 in the country during much of the 1982 season. Kraynak played on a star-studded Pitt team that included Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, who starred for the Miami Dolphins and is currently a television broadcaster. Kraynak is the son of Rich and Marilyn Kraynak of Phoenixville.
Both Olkewicz and Kraynak wore the jersey number 52 during their professional careers.
Lonny Moore coached other Division I college linebackers like Tony Romano of Syracuse University and the late Dan Reighn and the late John Neher of Temple University. Romano was also a first team All-State selection. Moore also coached standout defensive back Dave Rocco, the younger of two sons of former boys basketball coach George Rocco. Dave Rocco played at Divsiion I-AA Georgia Southern University after starring for the Phantoms under head coach Bill Shirk.


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Barry Sankey